1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to footballs, in particular to a means for gripping the ball when holding onto or throwing it.
2. Description of Prior-Art
In American Football, spinning the ball is essential for sending the ball into straight flight and making maximum use of the aerodynamics provided by the pointed ends of the ball. In the past, footballs came with no specific means to help a player grip and spin a ball when throwing it. A player with large hands can extend his fingers well around the circumference of the ball and get a wide grip, permitting him to spin the ball effectively. A player with smaller hands can not get as good a grip, putting him at a distinct disadvantage.
Also, many games are lost when a player drops the ball after catching it, or when a player on the other team knocks the ball out of his hands. This happens because the shape, size, and relatively smooth surface texture of footballs make them very hard to hold.
Additionally, football games are played in a wide variety of climates, from very warm to very cold, and under such extreme and varied weather conditions as snow, high wind, extreme humidity, mud, and heavy rain. Such conditions add to the difficulty of handling the ball; wet weather, expecially, makes for a slippery ball, which even the best player may have trouble gripping or throwing. Football is also a rough game, in which players have very little time to throw or catch a ball before being knocked down.
R. B. Henderson in U.S. Pat. No. 3,508,750, dated Apr. 28, 1970, shows a game ball in which hand-sewn seams produce inwardly projecting grooves along the seams. The problem with this approach is that it does not produce sufficient grip for the fingers to throw and also spin the ball.
D. R. Kralik, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,831, dated Apr. 28, 1987, shows a ball in which extra padding under the outer cover allows an improved grip when holding and throwing the ball, although not sufficient to allow for maximum control of the ball. Other patents of general interest include U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,603,513 and 2,129,238.